Dispensing pill box

ABSTRACT

A container for the storage and dispensing of pills and the like. The container has top and bottom walls with a side wall therebetween forming a storage chamber within the container. A dispensing opening cover on the top wall is operable to provide a single pill dispensing opening which cooperates with the container structure whereby when in pill dispensing position only one pill is movable to the dispensing opening. Shoulder forming lugs extend from an interior surface of the top wall toward the bottom wall and spaced therefrom to allow a pill to move therebetween from the chamber into the dispensing end portion when the container is in upright position. When the container is in inverted position the shoulder engages a pill in the chamber to prevent the pills therein from moving to the dispensing opening.

' 221 Filed:

United States Patent: n91

Pehr

i 1 DISPENSING PILL BOX [76] Inventor: Harold T. Pehr, 3920 W. 96th St.,

Overland Park, Kans. 66207 Apr. 29, I974 [2i] Appl. No.: 465,179

ill] 3,896,968

[ July 29, 1975 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Francis J. Bartuska Attorney. Agent, or Firm-Fishburn, Gold 8: Litman [571- ABSTRACT A container for the storage and dispensing of pills and the like. The container has top and bottom walls with u side wall therebctween forming u storage chamber within the container. A dispensing opening cover on the top wall is operable to provide a single pill dispensing opening which cooperates with the container structure whereby when in pill dispensing position only one pill is movable to the dispensing opening. Shoulder forming lugs extend from an interior surface of the top wall toward the bottom wall and spaced therefrom to allow a pill to move therebetween from the chamber into the dispensing end portion when the container is in upright position. When the container is in inverted position the shoulder engages a pill in the chamber to prevent the pills therein from moving to the dispensing opening.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL 2 91975 SHEET I DISPENSING PILL BOX The principle objects of the present invention are to provide a container for the storage and dispensing of the pills and the like with the containerbeing adapted to dispense a pre-selected number of'pills at a-time; to provide such a container which is manufacturable in one or more pieces which are adapted to be easily closed or assembled with a minimum of tools and machinery; to provide such a container having a-body member and one part being a cover member with a closure member connected thereto by an integral hinge; to

provide such a container with stops in the interior thereof that are engageable with one of the pills contained therein to prevent discharge of all but a preselected amount of pills which are contained in a dispensing end portion of the container when the container is in one position and preventing movement of the pills thereby when the container is inverted; to provide such a container that is easily operable wherein a pill is dispensed by inversion and tilting of the dispenser with the closure member being open; to provide such a container that is substantially weather tight to prevent the entry of moisture thereinto; and to provide such a container that is easy and inexpensive to make and assemble positive in operation and well adapted for its intended use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. I is a perspective view of a dispensing container showing the closure member in an open position.

FIG. 2 is a section view of the container taken along the line 2-2, H6. 4, showing the container inverted and inclined for dispensing of a pill.

FlG. 3 is a section view of the container similar to FIG. 2 with the container shown upright and closed for storage of the pills contained therein.

FIG. 4 is a section view of the container taken along the line 4-4, FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view ofa modified form of dispensing container showing the closure member in an open position.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the modified form of dispensing container shown in a before assembly condition.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section view of the modified form of container taken along the line 77, FIG. 5.

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore. specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching onesltilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriate detailed structure.

Referring more in detail to the drawings.

The reference numeral I designates generally a contuiner having a chamber 2 therein for the storage of a plurality of pills or like objects. The container 1 is elongate and is provided with a dispensing end portion 4 sized and shaped to contain a preselected number of pills 3 for the dispensing of same. A closure member 5 is provided on the container l to selectively overlie and close a dispensing opening 6 which opens into the dispensing end portion 4. Means 7 are provided in th chamber 2 to retain the pills 3 contained within a. elongate storage chamber portion 8 when the pill in th dispensing end 4 is being dispensed to prevent the re maining pills 3 from being discharged through the dis pensing opening 6.

in the illustrated structure the container 1 is com prised of a bottom member 10 and a top member 11 suitably secured together to form the chamber 2. The top member may be integral with and hinged on the bottom member or may be separate pieces secured together with interlocking portions. Preferably. the bot tom member 10 is elongate having a bottom wall l2 and a peripheral upstanding side wall 14 extending around the botton wall 12. A recess i5 is provided in the exterior surface of the side wall 14 and is defined by a surface 16 and a shoulder forming surface 17. The top member 11 in the illustrated structure includes a top wall 19 having a depending wall portion 20 thereon. The depending wall 20 has an interior surface 21 and is sized and shaped to receive therein portions of the upstanding side wall 14 with the interior surface 21 being in engagement with the surface 16. A bottom edge 22 of the depending wall 20 engages the shoulder forming surface 17 to limit the downward movement of the depending wall 20 over the side wall 14. The recess 15 allows a smooth and uninterrupted exterior surface between the top wall 19 and bottom wall 12.

Means are provided for securing the top member ii to the bottom member 10 and as illustrated a rib and groove arrangement is provided. Preferably the interior surface 21 has a rib 24 thereon and the surface 16 has a groove 25 therein adapted to receive the rib 24 therein for cooperative interengagement to secure the top member 11 to the bottom member 10. it is to be noted that the rib 24 can be on the surface 16 and the groove 25 can be in the interior surface 2]. The rib and groove arrangement of securing provides easy assembly of the top member H and bottom member 12 without the use of adhesives or complicated tools and provides a moisture resistant seal between the top member and bottom member. it is to be further noted that other types of securing means can be-provided to secure the top member and bottom member together.

The closure member 5 in the illustrated structure includes a top wall portion 27 which is hingedly connected to the top member 11 by a hinge 28. Preferably. the hinge 28 is integral with both the closure member 5 and the top member 11 andextends between a free edge 29 and the closure member 5. The dispensing opening 6 in the structure shown is defined by the edge 29 and the dispensing end portion of the wall 14. The closure member 5 is movable between a dispensing position opening the dispensing openingv6 and a position overlying and closingsame and preferably, means are provided for releasably retaining the closure member 5 in the closed position. in the illustrated structure the closure member 5 has a wall 30 depending from the top wall 27 preferably is coextensive with the depending wall 20. The retaining means. as illustrated. includes a rib 3] on an interior surface 32 with the rib 3! being lnterengageahle in the groove 25 with the surface 32 being engageable with the surface l6. lnterengagement between the rib 31 and the groove 25 releasably retains the closure member 5 in the closed position and the engagement between the surfaces 32 and 16 provides a seal for the dispensing opening 6. A recess 33 is provided in the side wall 14 so that a portion of a bottom edge 34 of the wall 30 is exposed for engagement with a fingernail or the like of a user of the container 1 to facilitate the release of the closure member from the closed position.

Means are provided in the chamber 2 to engage certain ofthe pills 3 for retaining same within the chamber 2 when a pill is being dispensed through the dispensing opening 6. In the illustrated structure. abutments, stops or lugs 35 are secured to and preferably integral with an interior surface 36 of the top wall 19 and extend generally toward an interior surface 37 of the bottom wall 12 and spaced at distance therefrom slightly greater than the thickness of the pills 3. Preferably. the lugs 36 are each adjacent a respective elongate side wall portion and are spaced apart and positioned on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the container 1. By being spaced apart, the lugs 36 engage the pill at two points. The lugs 36 form shoulders 38 facing generally away from the dispensing opening 6 and the dispensing end portion 4 and are of sufficient heighth to engage the leading pill of the remaining pills contained in the storage chamber portion 8 to prevent same from moving into the dispensing opening when the container 1 is inverted and tilted for dispensing. It is to be noted that the lugs 36 can be ofdifferent forms and shapes and are positioned adjacent to the dispensing opening 6.

Preferably, the top member 11 and bottom member l0 are formed from a resilient synthetic resin such as polyethylene or polyvinyl-chloride with the closure member 5, hinge 28 and top member 11 being integral and preferably formed by a molding process. It is to be noted that the material used in forming the top member I] and bottom member I0 can be transparent or translucent for viewing the contents of the container I to determine the quantity of pills 3 remaining.

The present invention is more fully understood by a description of the operation thereof. In use, the container 1 has a plurality of pills 3 or similar objects contained therein with the pills preferably being in an elongate single line. The dispensing end portion 4 is sized and shaped to receive therein one or more of the pills 3 which is of a preselected quantity with the length thereof determining the number of pills which can be dispensed at one time. In the illustrated structure the dispensing end portion 4 is sized to receive therein a single pill 3 for dispensing of same. When it is desired to dispense a pill the container 1 is placed in an upright position as illustrated in FIG. I and tilted or inclined so that one of the pills moves into the dispensing end portion 4 after which the container 1 is inverted. as best seen in FIG. 2, whereby the leading pill 2 of the remaining pills contained in the storage chamber 8 moves into engagement with the shoulder 38 preventing the remaining pills 3 from moving into the dispensing end 3. In the illustrated form of modified container the container 40 includes a bottom member 10 and top member ll forming the storage chamber 8. The container 40 is also provided with the closure member 5 and the dispensing end 4. Lugs or stops are also provided on the interior surface ofthe top wall 19 for preventing accidental discharge of the pills 3 through the dispensing opening 6.

The major difference between the container 1 and the container is that the container 40 is molded in one piece having a hinge 4I integral with and connected between edges 42 and 43 ofthe side wall 14 and depending wall 20 respectively. Assembly of the container 40 is accomplished by hingedly moving the bottom member 10 and top member I1 relative to one another about the hinge 4] and effecting cooperative interengagement between the rib 24 and groove 25. It is to be noted that the hinge 41 prevents relative longitudinal movement between the bottom member 10 and top member 11 after assembly thereof. Operation of the container 40 for dispensing of a pill 3 is similar to operation of the container 1 as described above.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described certain forms of my invention it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts herein described and shown.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A container for dispensing and storing small ob- 30 jects such as pills and the like comprising:

portion. With the container I inverted and tilted, as

seen in FIG. 2, the closure member 5 is opened so that the pill contained in the dispensing end portion 4 can be dispensed. It is to be noted that the closure member 5 can be opened before inverting the container I.

FIG. 5. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 illustrate a modified form of the present invention which is similar in construction and operation to the form shown in FIG. I. FIG. 2. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 wherein like numbers designate like or similar parts or structure. The reference numeral 40 designates generally a modified form of container which has a chamber 2 therein for the storage of pills a. an elongate bottom portion having a flat bottom wall and an upstanding continuous peripheral wall of uniform height, said peripheral wall having parallel side portions;

b. an elongate cover portion having a flat top wall and a depending peripheral wall;

c. cooperating interengaging means on the upstanding and depending peripheral walls removably securing the cover portion onto the bottom portion. said walls defining an elongate chamber adapted to store a plurality ofobjects therein with said objects being sized to be movable longitudinally but substantially immovable laterally in said chamber;

(I. said cover portion top wall having a transverse hinge and the depending wall having separations in line therewith providing a hingedly connected closure portion at one end of the container, said closure portion being swingable away from the bottom portion to an open position providing a dispensing opening between the hinge and the adjacent end of a size for passage of one object therethrough when the container is in an inverted position;

e. lug means on said cover portion adjacent said hinge forming a shoulder facing away from the dispensing opening and having a spacing from said bottom wall to permit passage of objects therebetween when the container is in normal position and to engage a proximate one of said objects when the container is in inverted position for dispensing one of said objects at the dispensing opening and returning the remaining objects in the chamber between said shouldcr and the end remote from said dispensing opening.

2. A container as set forth in claim I wherein:

. said bottom portion and cover portion are molded of synthetic resin and said closure portion and hinge are integral with said cover portion, said 3 a. said container is molded in one piece. b.

an integral hinge connects said depending peripheral wall and said upstanding peripheral wall at one side of the container, said hinge extending from the respective separation in the depending peripheral wall to adjacent the end remote from the dispensing opening.

4. A container as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

a. said cover portion and said closure portion each having a respective portion of said peripheral wall with portions thereof engageable with portions of said upstanding peripheral wall; and

b. said cooperating interengaging means including a rib on one of said upstanding and depending peripheral walls and including a groove in the other of said depending and upstanding peripheral walls adapted to receive said rib therein for securing said cover portion and said bottom portion together.

5. A container as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

a. said depending peripheral wall is exteriorly of and surrounds said upstanding peripheral wall;

b. said upstanding peripheral wall having an exterior surface and having said peripheral groove therein;

c. said depending peripheral wall having an interior surface and said peripheral rib extending therefrom and received in said peripheral groove.

I 1! 10K l 

1. A container for dispensing and storing small objects such as pills and the like comprising: a. an elongate bottom portion having a flat bottom wall and an upstanding continuous peripheral wall of uniform height, said peripheral wall having parallel side portions; b. an elongate cover portion having a flat top wall and a depending peripheral wall; c. cooperating interengaging means on the upstanding and depending peripheral walls removably securing the cover portion onto the bottom portion, said walls defining an elongate chamber adapted to store a plurality of objects therein with said objects being sized to be movable longitudinally but substantially immovable laterally in said chamber; d. said cover portion top wall having a transverse hinge and the depending wall having separations in line therewith providing a hingedly connected closure portion at one end of the container, said closure portion being swingable away from the bottom portion to an open position providing a dispensing opening between the hinge and the adjacent end of a size for passage of one object therethrough when the container is in an inverted position; e. lug means on said cover portion adjacent said hinge forming a shoulder facing away from the dispensing opening and having a spacing from said bottom wall to permit passage of objects therebetween when the container is in normal position and to engage a proximate one of said objects when the container is in inverted position for dispensing one of said objects at the dispensing opening and returning the remaining objects in the chamber between said shoulder and the end remote from said dispensing opening.
 2. A container as set forth in claim 1 wherein: a. said bottom portion and cover portion are molded of synthetic resin and said closure portion and hinge are integral with said cover portion, said hinge being a thin part extending transversely of said top wall; b. said lug means is on said top wall and engages an object to prevent movement thereof toward the dispensing opening when the container is in inverted dispensing position and permits movement of the object toward said one end independently of the position of the closure portion when the container is in upright normal position.
 3. A container as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said container is molded in one piece; b. an integral hinge connects said depending peripheral wall and said upstanding peripheral wall at one side of the container, said hinge extending from the respective separation in the depending peripheral wall to adjacent the end remote from the dispensing opening.
 4. A container as set forth in claim 2 wherein: a. said cover portion and said closure portion each having a respective portion of said peripheral wall with portions thereof engageable with portions of said upstanding peripheral wall; and b. said cooperating interengaging means including a rib on one of said upstanding and depending peripheral walls and including a groove in the other of said depending and upstanding peripheral walls adapted to receive said rib therein for securing said cover portion and said bottom portion together.
 5. A container as set forth in claim 4 wherein: a. said depending peripheral wall is exteriorly of and surrounds said upstanding peripheral wall; b. said upstanding peripheral wall having an exterior surface and having said peripheral groove therein; c. said depending peripheral wall having an interior surface and said peripheral rib extending therefrom and received in said peripheral groove. 